Thomas Tuchel defends ‘mentally tired’ Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku

Thomas Tuchel says Romelu Lukaku was dropped from Chelsea’s 2-0 win against Lille in order to take him out of the firing line after a torrid afternoon at Crystal Palace in which he touched the ball only seven times.

The club-record signing spent the entire evening on the bench as a lively Chelsea attack, spearheaded by the excellent Kai Havertz, helped Tuchel’s side to put one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Related: Romelu Lukaku watches from the margins as Chelsea dismantle Lille

Lukaku was widely derided for his performance at Selhurst Park on Saturday and his head coach explained it was time for him to take a “step back” from the starting lineup.

Video: Romelu Lukaku taken out of firing line for Champions League tie – Thomas Tuchel (PA Media)

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